Hippotherapy

Hello fiends!  I wanted to tell you about a program I have been participating in.  I have been taking part in a hippotherapy group for veterans!  I got once a week to a therapeutic riding center and work with a horse.  The horse I work with is Madison:

.Madison is 16 hands high -- that is TALL!  I have learned a lot.  I now know how to do tack (put on a saddle and reins).  I rode in an English saddle for the first time ever!  We have done leading, lunging, and an obstacle course.  We have also done star/stop practice and we trotted this past Monday.  We will finish with a trail ride in two more weeks.  That will be my last day there - they close for July/August because its too hot for the horses and the therapists!  Here is a picture of me on Madison:

If you ever get the chance to do hippotherapy I certainly recommend it.  Its very relaxing to work with a horse!

Memorial Day Weekend

After Employee Awards Day I left Waco to go see my family in Arlington.  I ha a great time visiting them.  On Saturday we went to the Kimbell Art Museum to see some art and then that evening we went to see Tomorrowland.  I actually liked the movie a lot - and thought it was interesting how it was somewhat a commentary on how we treat the earth.  That was interesting to me since I am an econerd (my own term!) and try my best to recycle what can be recycled, and use re-useable items so I am not accumulating a lot of trash.

Anway... Sunday we went to see the weirdest play ever.  The play was called Urine Town.

It was amusing but the costumes were really out there and I felt like they tried too hard to make it weird.  The costumes reminded me of the people from Capitol City in the Hunger Games movies.  Here is a shot from the play:

It was definitely a new experience - my first time going to Theater Arlington.

After the play we did some shopping... here is what I got... I got some new, limited edition Larabars:

And some tiny pinwheels for my plants:

And I tried on this visor:

But I did not buy it.  The last thing I got was some new shoes for working out.  My old ones were way worn out.  You should replace your workout/running/gym/dance/etc shoes every 3-5 months.  Shoes are important - skimp on them and you could really injury yourself and cause a lot of pain and suffering and cost at the doctor!  Be nice to your body and give yourself some good shoes!

Good News!

Hello friends!  It has been a busy week, but I wanted to take a few moments to share some good news with you!!

Today I was offered, and I accepted, a part-time (29 hrs/week) position as a recreation therapist at Hickory Trail Hospital in Desoto, TX.  The hospital is a psychiatric hospital that treats children, adults, seniors, and those with substance abuse history. Even though it is a recreation therapy position they know I am an art therapist and are ok with me doing art therapy!  I will also get to make use of my skills as a group fitness instructor!  Desoto is only 20 miles from my family which is awesome because that means I will be able to spend time with them!

I do not yet know what I will be doing about my living situation.  Desoto is not the biggest city but there are a lot of surrounding cities and I could even stay in Arlington if I wanted to.  So, now the house/apartment hunt is on and it will be tricky because I want to live in a good neighborhood but it has to be somewhere that I can afford!

That is all for now friends!!  Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope to post some art for you tomorrow!!

May Misccellaneous

Today I am going to share some miscellaneous stuff with you! I made some hearts for Sandi since she is making a canvas with hearts from her IG friends.

I used stamps on my documented life page - the challenge was to use stamps in a new way.  I discovered that I do not, apparently, know how to use stamps... the ink got all over me!

 I've been eating this avocado dressing...its DELICIOUS!  SO very tasty.

 Ingredients: 1 avocado, 1/4 c olive oil, 1 handful fresh cilantro, 1 jalapeño, 2-3 cloves garlic, juice from one lime, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup water.  Place it all in a blender/food processor and ta-da - super tasting dressing!

Lastly, I was recently elected to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges!

I'm very excited about it!!

That is all for now, friends.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great evening.

Fitness Journal Pages

Hey there!  I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day!  I finished my thesis - for this week at least.  I also went over to my best friends house and we went to the pool and then watched Frozen - it was my first time to see that movie, can you believe it?

Anyways, yesterday I finished another spread in my fitness journal and that means I have two spreads to share with you!!  So, here they are:

I think keeping a journal like this is good if you are trying to motivate yourself to keep working out, or if you just want a way to keep track of what you have done.  One of my favorite things is to flip through it and look at what I did several months ago!  Plus the making of the journal - the entries - are therapeutic and take little thought since I am just putting in what I did!  If you keep a fitness journal I would love to see it!  Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!

Two-A-Days

Last week I kicked my own butt with workouts.  We were having auditions for our new Group Exercise Coordinator (our boss) - and that required the instructors to be present to take their "class" and provide some feedback as to our impressions.  So I went Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  I also did my regular workouts...

 So, I was doing two-a-days. I was inspired and I got this tank to to workout in this summer:

By Thursday I crashed!  I don't think I was eating properly so I was VERY tired.  It probably didn't help that the weather was crazy either.  I took several days of active rest though so I could recover.  I will be doing more two-a-days this summer, but probably not three days of them back to back!

Last art journal page for the class swap

Here is the last art journal page that I created as part of our class art journal swap:

 Light at the end of the summer = graduation!  I can't believe it is only 3 months away!

And here is another page from my right brain planner inspired fitness jornal:

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a wonderful day.  "See" you tomorrow!

RBP Fitness Journal & Art Journal Page

For some time now I have been keeping a right brain planner inspired fitness journal.  I like being able to go through it and see what I did during previous weeks.  Here is one of my recently completed spreads in this journal:

And a page in my right brain planner annual planner pack:

I am quite happy with how both of these turned out.  I really like collaging words and letters all over pages.  Thanks for stopping by today, hope to "see" you tomorrow!

What a Wonderful Weekend!

I had a wonderful weekend!  I did some homework on Friday but it wasn't anything too stressful - mostly printing things I had already worked on.  On Saturday I made some art and taught step class.  We did double step - its where you put two steps next to each other and one person faces the front of the room and the other faces the back and you move back and forth between the two steps instead of just using one.  Its really fun and my class asked to do it again next week!  I don't have a picture from Saturday - but here I am on Thursday before the body tone class that I teach:

After step class on Saturday I went to the store and got this:

My very first food processor!  I've wanted one for at least 2 years now.  I'm super excited to have it.  I've already used it too - but you will have to come back tomorrow to find out about that!

I also got this cool thingy:

I think it will come in handy.

Then I went to the grocery store and got groceries.  I made this recipe for dinner:

Here is what mine looked like:

It was DELICIOUS!  I made those potatoes from scratch!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE cooking new things.  I totally thought "this is what life will be like when I graduate - art and cooking!" and I am not upset about that at all.  Making good food that is good for my body is something I like to do!

It was a good day!  Sunday was good too - join me tomorrow for the re-cap!

AEDM Nov 14

On the 14th of November I was SOOOo Tired.  I think I told you guys that I am now caffeine, lactose and gluten free.  That is a lot to change all at once.  It was a VERY difficult week for me.  I was super tired and I had migraines every day.  I do think, however, that I have gotten past that!!  Anyways, onto what you want to see... picture of art!!  Here are the two pages I made on the 14th:

This is one of my classmates journal that I have due to our swap! 

A page about being tired - in my Right Brain Planner

Thanks for stopping by today, have a great day.

Birthday Bucket List Re-cap

**Below is what is currently depicted on my "Birthday Bucket List" tab ... I have updated it to reflect what I have done.  Soon, since my birthay is this coming Saturday, I will be creating a new list and the tab will change.  Anyways,  just to recap the year..........

Each year before my birthday I come up with a list of things to do before my next birthday.  The number of things I put on the list is the same as my age.  I have been doing it for several years now and I really like it.  Links to posts that are about that particular item on the list.  I you would like you can check out last year's list (on my old  blog) here:30 Things to Do Before I am 31.  Now, onto this years this - Red items are things I did not do:

31 Things to Do Before I am 32
1.Go to a FSU Basketball Game - I did this but I did not post about it
2. Visit the FSU Rez - I have done this twice - both times with my fellow art therapy students!  
3. Read Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga - Finished!! 
4. Finish hanging pictures in the house - All pictures and most of my paintings are now hanging up! It only took me 1 year of living in the apartment to accomplish this!
5. Try Cardio HipHop Class - Cardio Hip Hop was not offered in the spring, but I did try (numerous times!) Cardio Party which i think is almost the same thing!  
6. Volunteer at Camp - Camp Boggy Creek Asthma Weekend & Holiday Party
7. Read 5 just for fun books - This is far beyond complete
8. Take an art workshop - Peace Papers Workshop Part I; Peace Papers Workshop Part II; Peace Papers Workshop Part III
9. Finish 2 art journals - I've started so many journals that this is not likely to happen - but I have more than completed 2 journals worth of pages this year so I am satisfied.  
10. Visit a new city - I visited Thomasville, GA but did not post about it
11. Keep going to Dance Step - I have certainly kept this up and to one-up it I became a certified group fitness instructor - I can now teach my own classes!!
12. complete a 5K race - FSU Cares 5K
13.  Try a new recipe - Tried a baked sweet potato topped with ground turkey, red salsa and green salsa.  Sounded iffy but man does it taste good - Its my new favorite thing to eat (other than dessert!)
14. Do a Turkey Trot - I did this, but did not post about it
15.  Stop drinking diet soda - Not sure this will ever happen.  I've realized its a ridiculous cycle to feel guilty abut drinking them but then to need the caffeine when I have migraines.  New goal - stop feeling bad about having one ever few days.
16. Go on a ghost tour
17. Go to water aerobics
18.  Have a Dresses, Drinks & Deserts Event - Dresses, Drinks and Desserts Fall 2012
19.  Have breakfast with the girls
20.  "Run" at St. Marks Trail
21.  Take a tennis class - I took 2 tennis classes in the Fall of 2012 and 2 during Spring 2013
22.  Go to the beach - Oh yea, far beyond complete; have been to St. George twice with the girls, for an entire week with mom, and to Panama City Beach with mom too!  
23.  Go bowling
24.  Do my yoga DVD
25.  Finishing hanging paintings in the house - Done...see #4.
26.  Complete a 10K - my leg did now allow for this one to happen.
27.  Go to the FSU Circus - I did this with some of the other student veterans!!  
28.  Take a swimming class
29.  Have a pizza and movie night - I did this but did not post about it.
30.  Send out handmade Christmas postcards - Part 1, Part II
31.  Have an art making night

Body Image ICAD

My ICAD on June 13th:

Ok, so I was very self-conscious about those turquoise pants... the lighting at home was not nearly as nice as it was at the tore where I bought them!  I probably had them for a 3 weeks before wearing them and I probably put them on 3 different time and looked in the mirror and changed my mind.

There are many reasons I wanted to overcome this... Human Sexuality Class has made me realize that we are all too hard on ourselves and that there is a tendency to try and force ourselves into other people's ideas instead of accepting ourselves the way we are.  Also, as a fitness instructor (and future art therapist!) I absolutely want the people I work with to value their bodies and workout because it feels good and brings them joy - not because they want to be "skinny" or "thin" or "look hot."  So, if I want my students/clients to feel this way, shouldn't I practice what I "preach?"

So.. I took those pants to the gym and tried them on in the locker room as suggested by my friend and classmate Hillary (who also attends all my fitness classes because she is super supportive!) and my classmate Brittney happened to be there so I asked her opinion.  She said they looked great... so I went to the classroom where I teach and checked myself out - and I looked fine!!

Lesson Learned: Wear the damn pants!  Don't be so critical of yourself.  Think of how you view and treat others, and be at least that nice to yourself!

Lastly, I want to tell you what my Human Sexuality teacher said one class.  She said that we see everyone else in 3D, but we can only see ourselves in 2D (photos, mirrors) - we look FLAT because we are looking at ourselves in 2D whereas other people recede into the distance (3D) so they look different.

So, I hope you can learn from this and be a little bit nicer to yourself!!

Thanks for stopping by today and have a great day!!

ICAD 11 and 12

More ICAD today!!  So... here is number 11:

Its true... be crazy...be off the wall if you want.

I added it to a page:

Love how it turned out!!

Here is my card from the next day, card number 12:

Yes, Gym Unicorn.  I was totally feeling the gym that day.  I had seen this on Pintrest

and it was stuck in my head, so it got put on a card!!

I did not use that card on a page yet, but I probably will eventually.  Hope you guys enjoyed the art!  Have a wonderful day.

Smashing Body

As I am sure is pretty common among other artists, especially those who art journal, I have MANY different books that I am journaling in all at once.  For instance, I have altered books, mixed medial books, and Smashbooks!  Today I wanted to show you 4 instances of Smashing that has taken place recently!!

First, I was happy about this:

Not a fancy page, but I wanted to document the accomplishment!!  It was done in a mini-smashbook.  I think they are cute - but they are small so if you like to glue into it, its sometimes hard to find things small enough to fit (at least it is for me!)

This next one is in a Snap Book... but really it seams to me that its the same thing as a Smashbook but with a different name.

 I just wanted to make sure I had this around for reference!!

Again, another workout page in the mini smashbook:

I was quite excited about starting my 2-a-days.  For those of you who do not know what that is, its typically a morning and an evening workout.  So... 2 workouts a day.  I've been doing 2-a-days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  My other days are typically only one workout, but I am contemplating adding some light cardio (perhaps walking) on Thursday so that would be another 2-a-day day!

Lastly, after all my working out I realized how much my body was doing for me and I made this page:

It is to remind myself how GREAT my body is because it works for me - it functions and allows me do things that make me happy and make me feel good.  It is to remind me to not be hard on myself if I don't look the way I feel that I should look - that's all based on societies norms anyways!  Its to remind myself that HEALTH is the most important thing.

I like working in smashbooks, but I quite often do not work 2D - I like texture and raised elements and those don't fit well into a mini-smash book because the spiral is small.

Along these same topics... reading in my Human Sexuality textbook about pregnancy and childbirth ,there was a section about pain and how it is subjective and can be managed and also about how medications can harm the baby.  It REALLY made me think about my own health and pain and medications.  It has got me thinking about how much medicine I take and wondering if there is a way to manage my pain better so that I could take less medication because it would be better for my own health.  Also it made me wonder how I would ever be able to handle having a baby - its something that I really need to bring up with a doctor!!

Its so interesting to me - how many things affect our health and how many of those things we do that we don't even realize can be harming us.  So, anyways the point is... I am going to make more of an effort to live better and I hope that you can do the same!!  Lets work towards better lives together!